A Trick At Best Point

Are we ready to continue our journey? asks Gaius.

I want to show Baby Bin Penguin my knee scrapes, says Terence.

All right, says Gaius. Bring your skateboard.

He and Terence go back to where Baby Bin Penguin is waiting.

Did you see me? asks Terence.

Yes, says Baby Bin Penguin. 

How did I look? asks Terence.

At what point? asks Baby Bin Penguin.

At my best point, says Terence.

At your best point you looked like you were doing a trick, says Baby Bin Penguin.

I was, says Terence.

Bu it didn't last long, says Baby Bin Penguin.

I know, says Terence. I went down the steps. Look at my knee scrapes.

Which ones are knee scrapes? asks Baby Bin Penguin.

All of them, says Terence. 

I wish I could ride on a skateboard, says Baby Bin Penguin.

Me too, says Terence.

You just did, says Baby Bin Penguin.

But not on the road, says Terence. Gaius said I couldn't.

Of course I did, says Gaius. Imagine.

Terence imagines himself speeding along the road to wherever they're going.

Whee! 

How good would that be?

I wonder why Surfing-with-Whales isn't coming? says Gaius.

He gives him a wave.

Surfing-with-Whales is sitting on the grass near the steps, making a phone call.

Yeah, the right one. Yeah okay. When? No worries. Thanks, ma.

He gets up and limps over.

Hurt your foot? asks Gaius.

Cement burn, says Surfing-with-Whales. 

I could make you a poultice, says Gaius.

No need, says Surfing-with-Whales. Mum's going to fix it.

But she's not here, says Gaius.

Level two reiki, says Surfing-with-Whales. She does long distance healing.

Has she done it before? asks Gaius.

Not on me, says Surfing-with-Whales. 

I suppose you have nothing to lose, says Gaius. Can you cycle to Burnie while she does it?

I should probably keep still, says Surfing-with-Whales. But she's busy in the craft shop, so I've got fifteen minutes.

We can be in Burnie by then, says Gaius. 

(They can. But they'll need to ride fast).

Skateboard Scrapes

Terence coasts along a narrow path on his skateboard.

Gathering speed all the time

Heading for the steps that lead down to the sand.

Yikes! 

He's approaching the top one!

How do you stop a skateboard?

He can't remember.

Kerthump, kerthump! 

He executes a fast descent to the sand.

At the end of which he lies in the sand next to his skateboard.

The skateboard is upside down, wheels spinning.

At least you can see the dragons. That's something.

Terence sits up.

Surfing-with-Whales is running towards him.

Sheez, Terence! says Surfing-with-Whales. Are you injured?

No, says Terence. I forgot how to stop.

I'll show you, says Surfing-with-Whales. Let's go up to the top.

He helps Terence up the steps, then goes back for the skateboard.

Stand here and watch me, says Surfing-with-Whales.

He takes the skateboard a few metres up the path, jumps on, and heads for the steps.

Just before he draws level with Terence, he puts his foot down on the pavement. 

And comes to a halt.

Now I remember, says Terence.

Have a go, says Surfing-with-Whales.

Terence takes the surfboard a bit further away, hops on, and careers towards the top step.

He puts his foot down. 

Sparks fly, before he tumbles head first down the steps.

Gaius comes over.

What happened? asks Gaius.

My fault, says Surfing-with-Whales. It probably wasn't the best spot for a lesson on stopping.

Gaius goes down the steps to see if Terence is all right.

Nothing broken? asks Gaius.

No, says Terence. And now I know how to stop on a skateboard. 

Well done, says Gaius. But you do have some knee scrapes.

Terence looks at his knee scrapes.

Skateboard scrapes. He can't wait to show them to Baby Bin Penguin.

He and Gaius climb back up the steps.

Surfing-with-Whales is sitting on the grass massaging his foot.

The one he used for stopping the skateboard.

He was not  wearing shoes, at the time.

Talk To Me While You're Here

Gaius finishes his apple and takes out the glue.

He spreads glue on the end of the claw, and on Terence's hand, where the claw goes.

He presses the claw into place.

Keep still, Terence, says Gaius. Don't move till I say so.

Okay, says Terence. What about talking?

Talking is fine, says Gaius.

Talk to me, says Baby Bin Penguin.

I suppose not many people do that, says Gaius.

I bet they just throw in their apple cores and whatever, says Surfing-with-Whales.

And worse, says Baby Pin Penguin. Sometimes it's stinky old prawns.

Nothing stinks worse than stinky old prawns, agrees Surfing-with-Whales.

I can think of a few things, says Gaius.

I'M supposed to be talking to Baby Bin Penguin, says Terence.

Go ahead, says Surfing-with-Whales. I'm going to check out the water.

Don't be too long, says Gaius. We need to get moving.

Can Baby Bin Penguin come with us? asks Terence.

I doubt it, says Gaius. 

I can't, says Baby Bin Penguin. So talk to me now while you're here.

Okay, says Terence. What's happened since I last saw you?

They moved me to this playground, says Baby Bin Penguin. I used to be nearer my parents.

So did I, says Terence. 

They probably miss me, says Baby Bin Penguin. 

Mine don't, says Terence.

You don't know that, says Gaius.

Saint Joseph used to chase me, with a hammer, says Terence. 

What about your mother? asks Baby Bin Penguin. 

She's the Virgin, says Terence. Know what that means?

What? asks Baby Bin Penguin.

She doesn't do anything, says Terence.

Well, says Gaius. It seems you're both better off now. How is the claw setting, Terence?

Terence moves it, forgetting he isn't supposed to.

But hey! The ten seconds was up some time ago. The claw has set hard, in position.

Excellent! says Gaius. Everything is as it should be. And you'll be able to ride in the pullalong without your view being blocked by the skateboard.

Can I ride on the skateboard instead? asks Terence.

Do you know how? asks Baby Bin Penguin.

Course I do, says Terence. I'll show you.

He steps onto the skateboard.......

What Flies Think

Terence is freed from his skateboard.

There it lies on the grass.

What's that thing stuck to your skateboard? asks Baby Bin Penguin.

Terence looks at the thing.

My claw! cries Terence. 

It should come away easily, says Gaius. 

He pulls at the claw. 

It comes away easily.

The wonders of vinegar, says Gaius.

Now what? asks Terence.

I think there's some super glue left, says Gaius. We'll glue it on properly next time.

When's next time? asks Terence.

After I've eaten my apple, says Gaius.

He opens the bag of apples he bought at the same time as the glue.

Offers one to Surfing-with-Whales. 

Surfing-with-Whales takes one, and bites into it. Crunch!

Terence remembers the red snake in his pocket. 

He tries pulling it out.

It is stuck to his gecko shorts, but eventually comes away.

He starts sucking, to soften it up.

What's that? Furry gecko short fibres! He tries spitting them out.

What's wrong? asks Surfing-with-Whales.

Terence keeps spitting.

Looks like something for me, says Baby Bin Penguin.

Terence throws his red snake into Baby Bin Penguin.

Two flies follow it in.

Get out! cries Baby Bin Penguin.

Who? asks Terence.

The flies! says Baby Bin Penguin. 

Aren't you used to them? asks Gaius.

No, says Baby Bin Penguin. Ants might be fun, but flies aren't.

One of the flies buzzes out of Baby Bin Penguin.

Time flies when your having fun, says the fly, in a fly voice.

The other fly comes out straight away.

And time's fun when you're having flies, says the second fly.

That's what they think, says Baby Bin Penguin. 

Weird Places Where It Might Happen

Surfing-with-Whales comes back with two coffees.

He hands one to Gaius.

What do I get? asks Terence.

I thought you still had that snake, says Surfing-with-Whales.

It dried up, says Terence.

Nothing that sucking won't soften, says Gaius. But first things first. Is your hand any looser?

Yes, says Terence, wiggling his hand.

Keep it up, says Gaius.

Surfing-with-Whales sits down on the grass.

Baby Bin Penguin has been entertaining us with jokes and riddles, says Gaius.

Penguin jokes? asks Surfing-with-Whales. 

Surprisingly, no, says Gaius. His riddle was a question regarding the nature of perception.

With the wrong answer, says Terence.

Darkness, says Baby Bin Penguin. The answer was right.

It was, says Gaius. But it confused Terence. The second one was probably more to his liking.

No it wasn't, says Terence. That one was lame.

Yeah? says Surfing-with-Whales, slurping his coffee. What was it?

Ants have anty bodies, says Terence. That's not even funny.

Another one that might need explaining, says Gaius. 

Let me ask one, says Terence. What's black and white and black and white and black and white?

Me, rolling down a hill, says Baby Bin Penguin. Except I can't do it.

YOU weren't meant to answer, says Terence.

You didn't say that, says Baby Bin Penguin. Anyway, everyone knows that joke.

That's why it's a good joke, says Terence.

My turn, says Gaius. Where does today come before yesterday?

Terence and Baby Bin Penguin have no idea.

Surfing-with-Whales tries to think of weird places where that might happen.

The Arctic circle? No. Even there, it's always today.

Like everywhere else he can think of. 

You'd better tell us, says Surfing-with-Whales.

In the dictionary, says Gaius. 

Surfing-with-Whales thinks this is clever. Yeah. In the dictionary. T before Y! 

Baby Bin Penguin is laughing. Hwark! Hwark!

Look at him, pretending he gets it.

Terence kicks Baby Bin Penguin. 

Ding! The effort forces Terence backwards.

His palm comes away from the skateboard.

What a good outcome!

Gaius's joke has proved entirely successful.

Why Do Ants?

Terence tries wiggling his hand again.

Any more movement? asks Gaius.

Maybe, says Terence.

Keep trying, says Gaius.

Want another joke? asks Baby Bin Penguin.

Not yet, says Terence. I'm still thinking about the last one.

I knew you didn't get it, says Baby Bin Penguin.

I did get it, says Terence. But you told us the answer before I could say.

You only got it after I said it, says Baby Bin Penguin.

Gaius said I got it before you said it, says Terence.

I didn't say that, says Gaius. I said I thought you would get it. Would you like to know why?

Yes, says Terence. Then we'll all know.

The answer was staring you in the face, says Gaius. Your skateboard.

Terence looks at the skateboard in front of his face. The top side is black, with no dragons.

So what? says Terence. 

The more there is the less you see, says Gaius.

Ha ha! laughs Baby Bin Penguin.

Stop laughing. You gave the wrong answer, says Terence. That's cheating!

No I didn't, says Baby Bin Penguin. 

Moving on, says Gaius. Perhaps Baby Bin Penguin has another joke.

A better one, says Terence. 

This is a good one, says Baby Bin Penguin. Why do ants never get sick?

Is that a penguin joke or a bin joke? asks Terence.

It's an ant joke, says Baby Bin Penguin. 

How come you know an ant joke? asks Terence.

Ants often drop in and out, says Baby Bin Penguin. And we tell jokes to each other.

This will be interesting, says Gaius. I had never considered that ants might get sick, due to contact with rubbish.

So you don't know the answer, says Baby Bin Penguin.

I don't, says Gaius. Do you, Terence?

Do I? asks Terence.

Obviously not, says Gaius. Tell us why ants don't get sick, Baby Bin Penguin.

Because they have little anty bodies, says Baby Bin Penguin.

A fine joke! 

At least, Gaius thinks so.

Darkness Too Soon

Baby Bin Penguin is excited that Terence is coming.

Surfing-with-Whales has told him Terence is stuck to a skateboard, so he won't be surprised.

Also that Terence is being pulled in a pullalong, behind Gaius.

So when Baby Bin Penguin spots Gaius in the distance, pedalling towards him....

It's them! cries Baby Bin Penguin.

Gaius sees Surfing-with-Whales standing beside Baby Bin Penguin, and stops.

We should take turns pulling Terence, says Surfing-with-Whales.

Good idea, says Gaius. 

Where are we? asks Terence.

Terence! squeaks Baby Bin Penguin. You're here!

Yes I'm here, says Terence. I just have to get lifted out of this thing with my skateboard.

Surfing-with-Whales lifts him out, along with the skateboard.

Dragons! says Baby Bin Penguin.

They're just underneath, says Terence. There's nothing on top.

Except you, says Baby Bin Penguin.

I'm stuck to it, says Terence. But Gaius is getting me unstuck with vinegar.

So I am, says Gaius. Let us sit on the grass and get started.

He takes the vinegar out of his back pack.

Shakes a few drops over Terence's hand.

Now we wait for it to soften, says Gaius.

How long? asks Terence.

That depends, says Gaius.

On how good the glue is, adds Surfing-with-Whales.

It was a cheap glue, says Gaius. Which means it may soften easily.

Wiggle it, suggests Baby Bin Penguin.

Terence tries to wiggle his hand but his palm remains stuck to the skateboard.

I'm going to grab a coffee, says Surfing-with-Whales. Want one?

Thanks, says Gaius. 

Surfing-with-Whales goes off, and Gaius lies back on the grass, relaxing.

I missed you, says Baby Bin Penguin.

Me too, says Terence.

Hwark! laughs Baby Bin Penguin. That means you missed you.

No it doesn't, says  Terence. It means I missed you too.

But there's only one of me, says Baby Bin Penguin.

I know, says Terence.

I think Baby Bin Penguin was making a joke, says Gaius. A pun was intended.

He's good at jokes, says Terence. 

Thanks, says Baby Bin Penguin.

Tell me another one, says Terence.

 A penguin joke or a bin joke? asks Baby Bin Penguin.

Any joke, says Terence.

The less there is, the more you see, what is it? asks Baby Bin Penguin.

That's not a joke, says Terence.

It's a riddle, says Gaius. And I think Terence might know the answer. 

Darkness, says Baby Bin Penguin.

That's it! says Gaius. I thought you might have got that one, Terence.

I might have, says Terence.